Prohibits the monitoring, collection, recording or storing of data from gas and electric meters any more frequently than on a monthly or billing cycle basis, unless the express written consent of the consumer has been provided; requires the consent of the property owner for entry upon residential property.
Summary
S06566 would amend the Public Service Law to restrict how often gas corporations, electric corporations, and municipalities may monitor, record, collect, or store data from meters or related apparatus. Under the bill, such entities could not gather meter data for periods shorter than one month or the applicable billing cycle, whichever is longer, unless the consumer gives express written consent. The bill also states that consumers who refuse consent may not be charged an additional fee for doing so.
The bill further limits access to residential property by prohibiting gas corporations, electric corporations, and municipalities from entering a residence without the owner’s consent, except in emergencies or where there is imminent or potential harm to persons or property. The measure would take effect 30 days after becoming law.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would add new consumer privacy and property-access restrictions to New York’s Public Service Law, directly affecting utilities and municipalities that use smart meters or other monitoring equipment. It would limit the frequency of utility data collection to monthly or billing-cycle intervals unless a customer affirmatively authorizes more frequent monitoring, and it would bar utilities from imposing a surcharge on customers who decline that consent. It would also codify a stronger consent requirement for entry onto residential property, with only narrow emergency-related exceptions.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented legislative debate or voting pattern to assess. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears oriented toward consumer privacy, utility oversight, and residential property protections, suggesting a likely pro-consumer framing. However, without discussion or votes, the overall sentiment around the bill cannot be reliably characterized beyond its stated policy goals.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the privacy-versus-utility-operations balance and the practical effects on smart-meter programs. Supporters would likely emphasize consumer control over energy-usage data and protection against unwanted property entry, while opponents or affected utilities may argue that the restrictions could interfere with system monitoring, operational efficiency, outage detection, leak identification, or other safety and service functions. The written-consent requirement and the ban on charging non-consenting customers could also be disputed as administratively burdensome or costly.